1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hexapod robot device. More particularly, the present invention relates to the hexapod robot device having six legs each of which is controlled to generate a combined horizontal and vertical movement.
2. Description of the Related Art
Taiwanese Patent Pub. No. 348674, entitled “Autonomous hexapod robot,” discloses an all-terrain obstacle-avoidance hexapod robot. The hexapod robot includes six leg mechanisms (provided with six drivers), a battery, an electrical controller and an obstacle-avoidance device. The obstacle-avoidance is operated to control the hexapod robot to step back while encountering obstructions and to further wind through the obstructions by turning the hexapod robot to the left or right side.
PCT Pub. No. WO99/28095, entitled “System and method for compensating for compliance of a hexapod positioning device,” discloses a system and method for compensating for compliance distortions in a positioning device, such as a hexapod machining center. The position device has a movable platform mounted on a plurality of actuators at a plurality of pivot locations. The method comprises the steps of: calculating compliance information of the positioning device: compensating actuator movement commands according to the collected compliance information; and moving the positioning device actuators according to the compensated movement commands.
PCT Pub. No. WO99/28097, entitled “System and method for calibrating a hexapod positioning device,” discloses a system and method for calibrating a positioning device, such as a hexapod machining center. The system comprises a gage nest, having a plurality of sensors and being connected to the positioning device; an artifact, disposed in a work area defined by the positioning device; a first computer, connected to said positioning device, for controlling and recording precision movements of the positioning device with respect to the artifact; and a second computer for using the recorded precision movement as input data in order to simulate the operation of the positioning device, thereby iteratively determining the actual geometry of the positioning device.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,481,513, “Single actuator per leg robotic hexapod,” discloses a mobile robot comprising a body and at least six compliant legs each having only one actuator. The compliant legs are mounted to the body for movement relative thereto in a single degree of freedom. A controller is operably coupled to the actuator of each compliant leg, the controller selectively actuates the actuators to drive the compliant legs in an alternating tripod gait.
However, the above-mentioned patents are absent a hexapod robot that has a leg controlled to generate a combined horizontal and vertical movement. The above-mentioned patents are incorporated herein by reference for purposes including, but not limited to, indicating the background of the present invention and illustrating the state of the art.
As is described in greater detail below, the present invention provides a hexapod robot device. Each leg has a first connecting rod operated to move forward and backward along a longitudinal direction and a second connecting rod operated to move upward and downward along a vertical direction. The first connecting rod and the second connecting rod are assembled to provide a combined horizontal and vertical movement in such a way as to mitigate and overcome the above problem.